AWC History
Early History | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s
Early History
In 1909, seven female students at the University of Washington in Seattle entered the college’s new journalism program, the second of its kind in the country.
One of the students, Georgina MacDougall, came up with the idea for a women’s journalism society, and she talked about it into the night with fellow student Helen Ross. The next day, the pair enlisted the remaining female students, Blanche Brace, Rachel Marshall, Olive Mauermann, Helen Graves and Irene Somerville to create Theta Sigma Phi. Encouraged by their journalism professor, the women united their talents in creating the first women’s edition of the university newspaper, The Pacific Daily Wave.
By 1915, there were Theta Sigma Phi chapters at the universities of Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon and Ohio State University. Officers from the Washington Chapter still doubled as national officers, and the organization began publishing The Matrix, a magazine for women journalists.
In 1918, Theta Sigma Phi held its first convention at the University of Kansas. A year later, women in Kansas City founded the first alumnae chapter (now known as professional chapters), followed by women in Des Moines and Indianapolis.
World War I brought more women into newspaper jobs as their male colleagues went to battle. Theta Sigma Phi member Alice Rohe was a United Press reporter in Rome; Bessy Beatty of the San Francisco Bulletin and Sigrid Schulz of the Chicago Tribune reported from Germany as the war ended. But in the postwar economic slump, hostility against “women in men’s jobs” ran high. Many editors relegated women to society pages instead of “hard news.”
Although women gained the right to vote in 1920, support lagged for other reforms. Ruby Black, who was national president, editor of The Matrix and the first manager of an employment bureau for members, noted in 1931 that female journalists couldn’t get reporting jobs at the same pay as similarly qualified men.
Theta Sigma Phi strengthened as a national network during the 1930s. The association hired a professional director and founded a national office in 1934. It inaugurated the Headliner Awards in 1939 to honor members who had made outstanding contributions to the field. The group gave Eleanor Roosevelt honorary membership for her efforts to aid female communicators. The First Lady’s most notable action was to close her news conferences to male reporters. Mrs. Roosevelt contributed several articles to The Matrix.
By 1940, Theta Sigma Phi had 39 chapters, and World War II was expanding opportunities for women. But inequality persisted, and women were regarded as temporary or less-serious workers. At the Theta Sigma Phi convention in 1946, delegates required all chapters to eliminate any race restrictions from their bylaws. By 1950, the group had grown to 47 campus chapters and 29 alumnae groups as more women began to work.
In 1964, Theta Sigma Phi established its headquarters in Austin, Texas. Jo Caldwell Meyer retired after serving as executive secretary for 24 years, leaving a legacy of leadership and personal attention to members’ needs.
The 1970s: New Name, New Strengths
After much discussion,Theta Sigma Phi put its strength behind passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, focusing the group’s energy on women’s social issues.
At the 1972 convention, delegates changed the name to Women in Communications, Inc. and allowed men to become active members. The delegates also called for more affirmative action to create more female journalism professors and to remove the discriminatory practices that impeded academic advancement.
In 1973, Women in Communications created an awards program (later named the Clarion Awards) to recognize excellence in communications. A new monthly, National Newsletter joined The Matrix in recording the group’s news. WICI joined the national ERA coalition to fight the mounting opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.
In 1979, WICI united with 11 communications organizations to found the First Amendment Congress, which works to preserve First Amendment rights.
The 1980s: Growth, Change and Leadership
In 1980, WICI opened a public affairs office in Washington to monitor legislation. The group also awarded the first Vanguard, for the positive portrayal of women, to United Technologies for its ad, “Let’s get rid of the girl.”
Members were raising thousands of dollars for the ERA effort at their regional meetings. WICI’s most creative and elaborate strategy was the “Family of Americans for the ERA.” The 10-foot-high “house,” each colorful plank identifying a state that already had ratified the amendment, signified the demand for a permanent home for the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. WICI gathered other women’s groups to showcase the house at the 1980 Republican National Convention.
Georgina MacDougall Davis died in February of 1981, her life having spanned two women’s movements and the expansion and change in the society she founded. Also that year, PRO/COMM (later the Professional Communicator) replaced The Matrix and National Newsletter. At the annual conference, a seminar titled “Room at the Top” explored to a sell-out crowd the status of women in the communications industry. The panel of top-level WICI members documented the “profound irony” that the industry supposedly reflecting society at large was dominated by men.
In 1982, the last surviving founder of Theta Sigma Phi, Irene Somerville Durham, 94, died. And in June, the ERA fell three states short of the required 38 to enter the constitution. But the women’s rights movement had benefited nonetheless.
WICI increasingly defended the freedoms of speech and the press. Leaders protested the news blackout during the invasion of Grenada and spoke out to Congress against proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act. More than 100 chapters organized congressional letter-writing campaigns. WICI joined the National Committee on Pay Equity and awarded Rep. Mary Rose Oakar of Ohio an honorary membership because of her leadership on the issue.
In early 1988, the WICI Board of Directors moved the group’s headquarters to Arlington, Va., just outside Washington, DC, to be closer to the seat of government.
In the spring of 1989, WICI joined Gannett and the University of Southern California in a conference on “Women, Men and Media.” The group also introduced a new education/career development project called Special Assignment, funded by WICI’s Advancement Fund.
The 1990s: Embracing the Future
WICI leaders instituted the Rising Star Award in 1990 for outstanding student members. Laura Glad, of California State University at Fullerton, was the first recipient.WICI delegates voiced support for the Civil Rights Act, which President Bush signed in 1991, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which President Clinton signed in 1993. The end of the year saw a new partnership emerge between WICI and Capital Cities/ABC Inc. on its “Stop Sexual Harassment” campaign.
Between 1993 and 1995, the association saw heightened fiscal accountability and achieved increased financial stability under the leadership of Executive Director Gale Ellsworth. The service office was relocated from Arlington, Va. to Fairfax, Va. The organization began a serious self-examination effort coordinated by former national president Christy Bulkely. The “Fundamentals for the Future” task force made the recommendation the organization be restructured for more effective operations.
At the annual conference in the fall of 1996, held in Portland, Oregon, the delegates voted to dissolve Women in Communications, Inc. and replace it with the Association for Women in Communications, or AWC. They envisioned a new organization true to its heritage and founding principles. The new structure had an 11-member board with broad geographic and chapter size coverage.
Since the early days of print journalism, the Association for Women in Communications has evolved to become the overarching association to unite communicators across a vast spectrum of disciplines—from print and broadcast journalism, to graphic design, photography, public relations, advertising, marketing, new media and much more.
In 1999, AWC was once again at the forefront of organizations as it moved more of its communications online: membership directory, electronic magazines, chapter leader guides, conference and membership registration, and more.
As it evolves to meet the increasing demands of the 21st century and celebrate its centennial in 2009, AWC continues to look at opportunities for the professional development of its members and ways to enable ever stronger connections between members across the nation. The mission and goals of the organization continue to hold true and unite the 4,000-plus members in the increasingly diverse fields of communication.
The 2000s: New Millennium, New Experiences
As AWC headed into the new millennium, the organization continued to hone its online presence, depending more and more on the online membership directory and database, publications and chapter leadership pages and guides. It added an online chapter reports tool, and searched for novel ways to address members’ severe time constraints in an increasingly fast-paced environment. Association demographics increased in the small business and entrepreneurial arenas, as women’s communications skills increase and salaries continue to lag behind their male counterparts at 75 cents to the dollar. AWC has worked hard to address these challenges.
AWC’s educational affiliate, Matrix Foundation, began offering a unique certification program for professional communicators in late 2004, with a discount for AWC members. The inaugural recipient was Cindy Wallace of the San Antonio chapter and National Board, who earned her Certified Communications Professional (CCP) in July 2005. Interest in the program grows as word spreads.
AWC changed administrators in 2005, moving its headquarters from Severna Park, MD, to Alexandria, VA. Under the guidance of Pamela Valenzuela, ASCENT Management, LLC now provides member and chapter services, financial accounting, Clarion Awards management and web maintenance for the organization.